In order to build your own wooden shed in your backyard, just what skills do you need? Well, this is certainly the perfect project to learn basic carpentry skills if you don't consider yourself handy with tools. By far, the easiest way is to purchase a precut wooden shed kit. A precut kit comes with instructions and all the pieces necessary to simplify and speed up the process. And because all the pieces are already cut, assembly is as simple as laying the sections out flat on the ground and putting them together.
Because of the shed's small size, building the foundation, setting up the walls, and putting on the roof can all be done by yourself (if necessary). For instance, when setting the walls, you simply nail temporary braces to hold the walls in place until you can attach them to each other.
For the most part, you can get the job done with only a few basic tools; a level, a tape measure, a hammer, a drill and a saw (yes, its still necessary to make a few cuts even though this is a precut kit). Use the tape measure to make sure the walls are square. Do this by measuring the length of opposite corners (top right and bottom left). Next, measure the remaining opposite corners. If the measurements are the same, the wall is square.
Instead of hammering everything together with nails, I would recommend screwing the boards together. It's actually easier than nailing and has the extra benefit of being a stronger connection and can be taken apart simply by unscrewing the screws if you mess up.
A level is one of the most important tools you can use. As a general rule, the longer the level the better your results will be. A 12-inch level should work fine for this project. Make sure to check that the foundation is level horizontally before anything else. If it isn't, add or subtract sand or dirt under each patio block that needs adjusting. Check for level in both directions - East/West and North/South.
Once you start adding the walls, you'll need to check for plumb (level vertically). Its very important to have the walls square, plumb and level or you'll have noticeable problems when you start working on the roof.
Don't forget, building a shed yourself should be a fun and great learning experience. Knowing that you built it with your own two hands is the real reward.
Dan Reiling has built garden sheds for over 20 years and consults other with how to build their own. For more information on wooden sheds, be sure to visit his web site at: BestWoodenSheds.com.
